3 injured after two earthquakes hit Balochistan

At least three people sustained injuries on Saturday when two earthquakes, measuring 5.2 and 4.3 magnitude, jolted a wide area of Pakistan's Balochistan province, officials reported. The tremors were felt across districts including Barkhan, Rakhni, Kohlu, and Musakhail. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) and the National Seismic Monitoring Centre (NSMC) reported the 5.2-magnitude quake had a depth of 19 kilometers and its epicenter was 52 kilometers northeast of Barkhan. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) provided slightly different figures, stating a magnitude of 5.4, a depth of 10km, and occurring at 8:06 a.m.

The initial 5.2-magnitude quake was preceded by a 4.3-magnitude tremor originating from the same general area, with its epicenter located at a depth of 42km, according to the NSMC. The USGS reported this earlier quake struck at 5:45 a.m. with a depth of 10km. In Musakhail district, two laborers were injured when a shop roof collapsed due to the earthquake. Separately, a man named Fazal was injured when his house collapsed in the Kingri area, northwest of Musakhail. Officials from the PDMA and local administration were dispatched to the affected areas to commence rescue operations.

Reports from local administration indicate that cracks appeared in the walls of mud houses. Consequently, a significant number of residents have evacuated their homes and set up tents. This seismic activity is part of a recent pattern in the region; on Friday, a 5.1-magnitude earthquake also struck the same area, with its epicenter located 60km northeast of Kohlu, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD). The PMD noted that this quake was felt in the Zhob, Barkhan, and Rakhni areas. Earlier in the week, on Monday, a 5.4-magnitude earthquake had jolted parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Islamabad.